UK commercial vehicle (CV) production rose by 27.6% in April, the fourth consecutive month of growth for the sector, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 7,879 working vehicles, from vans and taxis to trucks, buses and coaches, left production lines, with the pre-planned ramp up of […]
Another busy week for SMMT kicked off in Birmingham at the annual Commercial Vehicle Show, which opened its doors on Tuesday to thousands of visitors eager to see all the latest vehicles, trailers, equipment and technology, including the latest low and zero emission models. Having had a difficult couple of years with the pandemic undermining […]
April engine output falls -2.7%, with 126,082 units built. Production for UK and overseas markets declines -1.3% and -3.9% respectively. 537,355 engines produced this year, down -19.2% on same period in 2021. Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “Another month of decline in UK engine output is disappointing but not surprising given the ongoing global […]
UK car production fell -11.3% in April with 60,554 units rolling off factory lines, according to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The ongoing global shortage of semi-conductors, the impact of the war in Ukraine on supply chains, model changes and broader industry structural changes all contributed […]
The UK new bus and coach market grew by 45.2% in the first quarter of 2022, with registrations increasing to 974, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The year-on-year increase compares with the weakest start to a year on record in 2021, when orders collapsed as a result […]
UK heavy goods vehicle (HGV) registrations declined by -2.3% to 9,837 registrations in the first quarter of 2022, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The decline saw 9,837 units registered in Q1, down 227 on a volatile first quarter in 2021, with the sector still some distance from […]
As the new car market continues to be impacted by the global shortage of semiconductors, there was some good news this week as the used car market returned to growth after two consecutive quarters of decline. While this is somewhat unsurprising given the UK was in the midst of a lockdown during the first three months of […]
Charging motorists a levy based on the miles they drive would be fairer and more popular than the current fuel duty regime and could even help address the cost of living crisis, new research presented in parliament shows. In a report endorsed by Lord George Young, a former transport secretary, the Social Market Foundation said […]
Scarcely an automotive icon, a descript best left on either Mini, or Beetle, writes Iain Robertson, the Escort was not even a ‘new’ car, when it first popped-up in Ford dealerships in 1967-1968, but it left an immense impression on all manner of people, from company sales reps to stock car drivers and a wealth […]
A train of thought surrounds the art of creating attention, when all else is falling about, recalls Iain Robertson, and with the parlous state of affairs occurring within the palaces of Jaguar-Land-Rover, let alone the wilder outside world, you might have imagined that the Indian-owned carmaker could cutback on the enjoyment factor…not a bit of […]
